Vase in Ceramic and Painted Leather, De Coccio, Italy, 1950s

This decorative vase brilliantly testifies to Italian post-war creativity. The ceramic structure has been entirely sheathed in hand-painted leather, signed De Coccio. This original combination of ceramic, leather and artisanal painting is characteristic of a certain whimsical Italian production that flourished in the 1950s, halfway between folk art and signature design.

The leather, carefully stretched over the vase, displays a figurative decoration representing a stylized male figure, treated in a free and expressive graphic spirit. This representation, both picturesque and sophisticated, evokes the plastic research of Italian artists such as Piero Fornasetti or Aldo Tura, who also explored the association of leather and narrative decoration.

De Coccio, an Italian manufactory recognized for its original creations combining noble materials and artistic decoration, marked Italian decorative production of the mid-20th century. This piece, signed and characteristic of this workshop, is today sought after by collectors of vintage Italian decorative objects.

This vase will ideally find its place on a shelf, a console or a desk, where it will function as a true small decorative artwork. It pairs particularly well with mid-century Italian furniture or a modernist décor, but it can also enhance a contemporary interior by bringing an artisanal, narrative and warm note characteristic of post-war Italian design. A piece of character.